As the Doom Continues to Loom

Jack managed to find a clean shirt before he and Phillip entered the trendy coffee shop. Phillip had an extra trench coat in his truck. When Jack had looked surprised by this, his fellow Stalwart had just shrugged.

Bladed Jack

Feeling like a Viking at a quilt convention, Jack inwardly winced when most of the eyes in the joint took them in. College students mixed with artists and other fashion conscious youth. Everyone looked like they tried so hard to be an individual they had become part of a counter culture that made them all appear the same or at least belong together.

 

Jack caught an odd movement out of the corner of his eye. When he looked, he saw a security camera, mounted high on the wall, following them as they moved. Its lens glared like an angry red eye and Jack jerked when Phillip’s cell phone buzzed.

Gazing down, Phillip said. “I got a text. It tells me to go open the lap top… Oh there it is in the corner table.”

“Someone just left a lap top here?” Jack said, but then followed Phillip to the corner booth. His aching muscles were more than happy to take a load off and he collapsed in the booth so hard it creaked loud enough for two young college girls to glare at them before returning to what could have been their homework, but was probably Facebook or Twitter. 

With a sigh, Phillip pushed the computer to the wall and then opened it so they could both see it. It flared to life humming for a moment before the image of an exploding fireball filled the screen. This transformed into a cyber image that was half machine and half metal. “Always a show off,” Phillip muttered.

 

“I heard that,” a young voice chirped from out of the device. Seconds later, a thin faced man with blinding red hair appeared on the scene. “So Phillip we met again.”

“In the loosest sense,” He said. “This is my friend Jack. He’s a man of Yig.”

“I could have guessed that, I think. Now what’s so urgent? I’m a very busy man and have a meeting with some folks from Germany in a few minutes.”

“Oh nothing important,” Phillip started, “it’s just that the Dark Alliance Xemmoni have given all Stalwarts until sunset to leave Boston. After that, they state we will be hunted down and destroyed.”

Jack held up one of his wounded arms. “And they even started a little early with us.”

Blaze looked more serious than they others they had told. “Well that isn’t good. I doubt they could find me, but even I like to head out of the town once in a while. It might become a little boring being the only Stalwart in Boston.”

“And dangerous,” Jack couldn’t help but add.

His eyes glanced as Jack, but then addressed Phillip. “So what is your plan? Do you intend to fight or flee?”

The two men looked at each other, but it was Jack who spoke first. “I think we need to fight. Besides the obvious reasons, we feel that Boston will be used for a tool to cause a greater evil.”

“And this evil will be?”

Phillip answered. “We aren’t sure about that one yet.”

“And you want me to help you in this vague notion of fighting back, against impossible numbers, I might add, because they could be planning something worse than just simply abusing Boston.”

“Either that or just give you a warning so you have the option to leave,” Phillip said, losing his energy.

“I take it no one else has joined your fellowship?” The tinny voice asked. 

“Not yet,” Phillip answered, but we did warn Lanna and Felix. 

“And Lanna thinks her looks will keep her safe and Felix’s believes his indiscriminate healing will protect him.”

“And I’m sure that your ability to hide will have you thinking that you are safe,” Jack had to add.

Phillip shot him an angry look, but it was Blaze that answered. “Yes, most likely it would. But I’m not one to ignore bad tiding and hope for the best.”

“So you will aid us?” Phillip asked.

“Yes not in the manner you might expect. Phillip take this lap top and continue to warn the others. There are some things I will look into. I’m a better net runner than fighter in most cases. Warn the others and I’ll be back in contact with you soon.”

The image disappeared. 

“That was better than the last two,” Jack said

“Maybe, but now we need to find, oh wait, looks like one of them found us.”

To be continued next Monday

Find out how Jack’s Adventures Started Here!